Final Box Score (PDF)
DENTON, Texas - Utah State women's basketball (4-5) defeated North Texas (4-5), 57-41, on Saturday at the Super Pit in Denton, Texas.
The Aggie bench outscored the Mean Green's, 31-0, led by junior guard/forward
Hailey Bassett-Meacham with 15 points. Senior center
Deja Mason led USU on the glass with 10 rebounds, while junior guard
Eliza West dished out a game-high four assists.
Utah State jumped out to an early 6-0 lead after a put-back jumper from freshman guard
Steph Gorman, a Mason layup and a bucket from junior guard/forward
Shannon Dufficy with 5:29 left to play in the first quarter. The Aggies extended the lead to 10, 14-4, after a Bassett-Meacham layup, a jumper from senior guard
Rachel Brewster and a layup from junior forward
Marlene Aniambossou with 1:16 on the clock. USU maintained its edge, leading 14-7, at the end of the first.
UNT opened the second quarter with a 10-2 run to take the 17-16 lead with 2:54 to go. After North Texas took a 19-18 lead with 2:01 left to play, USU closed out the quarter with a 9-1 run after a triple of treys from Gorman, junior guard
Olivia West and Brewster to lead, 27-20, at the half.
The Aggies didn't allow a Mean Green field goal for over seven minutes in the third quarter. During the UNT drought, USU extended the lead out to 11, 39-28, after a Dufficy bucket, and a jumper, layup and bucket from Bassett-Meacham with 1:53 remaining. A Brewster layup and E. West three gave USU the 14-point advantage, 44-30, at the end of the third.
Utah State maintained its double digit lead throughout the fourth quarter, leading by 16, 50-34, with 7:02 on the clock after a Bassett-Meacham layup and free throw. UNT cut the lead to 11 twice, but USU closed out the game with a 5-0 run after a Dufficy bucket, and free throws from E. West and O. West to earn the 57-41 victory.
North Texas was led by redshirt senior guard Terriell Bradley with 16 points. Redshirt sophomore forward Madison Townley led the team on the boards with eight rebounds.
Utah State shot 47.9 percent (23-of-48) from the field, 50.0 percent (4-of-8) from behind the arc and 77.8 percent (7-of-9) at the free throw line. North Texas shot 25.9 percent (15-of-58) from the floor, 16.7 percent (2-of-12) from the 3-point line and 69.2 percent (9-of-13) at the charity stripe.
Utah State returns to the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum to take on in-state rival Utah Valley (4-5) on Saturday, Dec. 15, at 2 p.m.
Women's basketball tickets are available now. Fans can purchase season tickets for $25, or on a game-by-game basis. A women's sports pass is also available for $50, giving fans access to all home women's basketball and gymnastics events. Fans can purchase tickets at the Utah State ticket office, located on the first floor of the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. Tickets are also available online atÂ
utahstateaggies.com/tickets, or by calling the ticket office at (435) 797-0305or (888)-USTATE-1.
Fans can follow USU women's basketball on Twitter, @USUWBasketball, on Instagram, @USUWBasketball, as well as on Facebook, at /USUWBB. Aggie fans can also follow Utah State Athletics on Twitter, @USUAthletics, on Instagram, @USUAthletics and on Facebook at /USUAthletics.
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